Water-closet.



J; A. STEVENSON & L. 0. PHILLIPS.

WATER CLOSET.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10, 1910.

Patented May 7, 1912.

2 SHEETS-$111111! 1.

WITNESSES J. A. STEVENSON-& L. 0. PHILLIPS.

- WATER CLOSET,

APPLIOA'L'ION FILED MAY 10, 1910.

' Patented May 7, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 3

IIIIIIIVIIfl/I Q 18 V" a Q y/ "r 1 f 3 5 r I WITNESSES INVEIITORS UNITEDSTATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES ALBERT STEVENSON AND LEWIS OLIVER PHILLIPS, OF NEW CASTLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-CLOSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

Application filed May 10, 1910. Serial No. 560,415.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES A. STEVEN- SON andLEWIS O. PHILLIPS, citizens of the United States, residing at NewCastle, in

the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in VVater- Closets, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and advantageous improvements inwater closets, urinals, slop-hoppers, and other sanitary devices of asimilar nature, which depend more or less upon siphonic action to carryaway the contents of the bowl.

The invention hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, is intended as an improvement over our former Patent #879,421,dated February 18, 1908, both inventions involving the same andessential features, and differing only so far as relates to the detailform of construction and arrangement of parts.

In this invention, as in the former men tioned one, we dispense entirelywith the necessity for storage tanks, and present a device that can besuccessfully operated with only a normal supply pipe, and under anyordinary pressure. These advantages will readily be apparent to thoseskilled in the .art to which this invention pertains, and

will materially reduce the maintenance cost of sanitary appliances ofthis nature.

In this improved device we aim at simplicity of construction, togetherwith a more reliable working efficiency, also the securing of a deeperafter-fill in the bowl, and the provision of an auxiliary blow-pipe, orescapement means, for the air from the trap.

In the accompanying drawings in two sheets, Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation of our improved closet, showing the different ducts andpassage-ways; Fig. 2 is a reversed side elevation of the closet; Fig. 3is a plan view, partly in section, taken near the top of the closet;Fig. 4 is a cross sectionbn line 1V-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentalvertical section taken on line VV of Fig. 3, and looking toward the rearof the closet; Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental and vertical section ofthe auxiliary air trap, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the lineVIIVII of Fig. 3.

Throughout the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the body portion of thecloset, which is constructed in the usual well known manner, and may beof any suitable material such as clay or metal, and involves the bowlportion 2, flushing rim 3, and outlet opening 4:. Communicating with thesaid opening 4 is the first leg or of the discharge system, separatedfrom the bowl by the bridge wall 5. This discharge, or outlet system, isthe same as that shown and described in our former mentioned patent, andinvolves the two communicating and inverted U-shaped passages, havingthe legs ab0- and d, for the purpose of providing two water seals withan intermediate air space or trap; here designated by the numeral 6.

The over-flow point in the secondary passage, between the legs cd, ispreferably made somewhat lower than the over-flow point X in the primarypassage between the legs ab, so as to create a natural fall or pull tothe column of water passing through said legs during the siphonic actionof the closet.

Positioned above the outlet system, and built into the closet, is an airreservoir or chamber 7 of any desired capacity. In teriorly of this saidreservoir, in its upper section, is a spud opening or pocket 8, andconnected in any suitable manner there with is the water supply pipe 9.Leading from this said pocket, preferably from the bottom thereof, asshown in Fig. 7, is a duct 10, which enters and supplies the flushingrim 3 with water. A reduced opening 11 through the wall of this pocket,preferably in its upper section, serves to supply'the air reservoir withwater.

When water is admitted to the reservoir 7 the air confined therein isforced through the only outlet it has, which is a duct 12, eX- tendingfrom a point near the top of said reservoir, as shown in Fig. 5, to thebridge wall 5, and terminates in the leg (4 below the normal waterlevel, so that its lower opening is submerged, and the air that is beingforced from the reservoir 7 is compelled to pass through a body of waterand escape from the point of least resistance; which will be into thetrap 6.

Opening out of the bottom of the reservoir 7 is a duct 18, which entersthe leg a parallel with the bridge wall 5, its lower opening also beingbelow the normal Water level, and on an approximate plane with the duct12, its function being to drain said reservoir after each action of thecloset, and assist in furnishing the after-fill in the bowl.

Communicating with the crown of the air trap 6 is a passageway 14, whichfirst preferably extends upward a predetermined distance, as shown inFig. 1, then outward through and down the side of the closet,terminating in a curved or U-shaped seal portion 15, involving theupwardly extending short leg 15, which is crowned with a cup-shapedport-ion 16, having the remoi able cap 17. This foregoing describedpassage 14 and leg 15 serves the purpose of an auxiliary air seal orescapement, and is kept supplied with water by means of a duct 18 whichenters the lowest point of the trap, and extends upwardly through andinto the air reservoir, entering the pocket 8 on a level with theopening 11.

A duct 19 connects the pocket or cup 16 with the said passageway 18;another duct 20 serves to drain said pocket into the sewer leg cl, and aremovable nipple 21 seated over the mouth of the leg 15, per mits anadjustment feature to regulate the maximum height of the water to bestored 'up inthe bowl; which will be further described hereinafter.

It will readily be seen and understood from the foregoing description,and by reference to the drawings, that the reservoirrwhich supplies airto the trap is entirely separate and independent from the escapementmeans, and that the operation of our improved closet will be as follows:Attached to the supply pipe 9, and conveniently located so as to bewithin easy reach of the operator, will be a water regulating valve, notshown, which may be either automatic or under control of the operator,and when this valve is opened, for the purpose of flushing the closetbowl, water will flow simultaneously in three directions, viz: a greaterportion will go direct through the 'duct 10 to the flushing rim, andincidentally will enter the bowl; a second supply will pass directthrough the opening ll into the air reservoir 7 and a third stream willpass through V the duct 18 to supply the auxiliary air trap 15, thesurplus water escaping through the duct 20 into the sewer leg cl.

1 As water enters the reservoir 7 it drives the air therefrom, throughthe duct 12 into the trap 6, and the filling up process continuing, aconsiderable compression is set up in the said trap which acts as a damto hold back the water entering and accumulating in the bowl. Thiscompressed air also is free to enter the duct 14 out of the crown ofsaid trap, and as the filling up process continues the water standing inthe longer leg of the auxiliary trap 1.5 is gradually forced downwardand up through the shorter leg 15, overflowing the nipple 21 into thepocket 16, and out through the duct 20 into the sewer leg (Z. Thefilling process continuing the compressed air pushes the water down andout of said trap 15, and at the instant the maximum height of water isreached in the bowl, indicated by dotted line mm, that instant the waterin the leg 14 reaches the curved turn at the lower end, and the resultis that the confined air held in the trap 6 and leg 14 escapes rapidlythrough the vent 20, and into the sewer leg (l, carrying with itpractically all the water that remains in the leg 15 and cup 16. At thesame instant this escapement action takes place, and the air impedimentbeing thus quickly removed, the head of water that has accumulated inthe bowl will pass with siphonic action through the outlet system,carrying with it the entire contents of said bowl. The normal level ofthe water, which drops back after the discharge action for theafter-fill, is reinforced by water draining out of the air reservoir 7through the duct 13, will be on a line with the over-flow point X; asshown by the lower dotted line Z-Z.

In order to provide an additional after fill, above the normal waterlevel, the air that is drawn into the trap 6 by natural suction when thesiphonic action takes place, is prevented from escaping by reason of thesupply duct 12 leading from the air reservoir being submerged andcovered by the after fill, and also from the fact that the auxiliarytrap 15 has again been supplied with water from the duct 18; part ofsaid water having been blown through the duct 19 during the escapementof air from the trap 6. The fact also that the drain duct 13, leadingfrom the air reservoir, terminates below the normal water level, willprevent any of the air drawn into the said trap 6 from escapement inthat direction. Thus, in this manner, sufiicient air is trapped in theseal 6 to insure an additional after-fill in the bowl above the normalwater level, approximately an inch or so above said line; as indicatedby dotted line J The lengthening or shortening of the nipple 21, seatedover the upper end of the trap leg 15, determines and regulates therelative maximum height of the water to be stored in the bowl; thelonger the nipple, the higher the water will rise, owing to theadditional weight of water supplied to the short leg 15, which must belifted and overcome by the compressed air pressure exerted against thewater in the longer leg 14. In other words, the added or lessened weightof the column of water in the two auxiliary trap legs 14 and 15necessitates a corresponding increase or diminution of the air pressurefrom the trap 6, and hence a more or less height of water to store up inthe bowl, before said air pressure forces the water out of said trap 15,and permits the contents of the bowl to escape through the outletsystem.

The lower extremity of the siphon leg 01 is provided with a rearwardlysloping portion, and approximately reversed right angled turns, in orderto provide a chuck at this point, and. by breaking the column of waterpassing out through said leg materially aid in the siphonic action ofthe closet. N o particular novelty or invention is claimed for thisfeature of our device, but is merely shown as an adjunct and advantageto the successful working of our invention.

The air chamber 7, after each action of the closet, obtains an airrelief, in order to insure the emptying of said chamber of water, by theair from the siphon leg at passing through the duct 20, cup 16, ducts 19and 18, then through the pocket 8 and duct 11.

We desire, however, to have it understood that the device here shown anddescribed is merely illustrative, and that such changes as are necessarycan be made in the detail form of construction without departing fromthe original spirit and intention, and that will be within the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

What we claim as new is:

1. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a suitable bowl and communicating outlet system, ofan air seal in said outlet; an air reservoir; means for forcing air fromthe reservoir into the seal; an auxiliary air trap; and means for anescapement of air from the first mentioned seal through the auxiliarytrap.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with asuitable bowl and communicating outlet system, of an air seal in saidoutlet; an air reservoir; means for forcing air from the reservoir intothe seal during the filling process; an auxiliary air trap; and meansfor an escapement of air from the first mentioned seal through theauxiliary trap during the emptying process.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with asuitable bowl and communicating outletsystem, of an air seal in saidoutlet; an air reservoir; means for forcing air from the reservoirthrough a body of water into the said seal; an auxiliary air trap; meansfor supplying said trap with water; and means for forcing the water outof said trap to permit an escapement of air from the first mentionedseal.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination with asuitable bowl and communicating outlet system, of an air'seal in saidoutlet; an air reservoir; means for forcing air out of said reservoirthrough a body of water into the said seal during the filling process;an auxiliary air trap; means for supplying said trap with water; meansfor removing the water out of said auxiliary trap to permit anescapement of air from the first mentioned seal; and means for drainingthe said reservoir of water to assist in furnishing the after-fill inthe bowl.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with asuitable bowl and communicating outlet system, involving two water sealsand an intermediate air trap, of an air reservoir; a connection from thereservoir into one of the water seals; a drain duct opening out of thereservoir; and terminating in one of said water seals; an auxiliary airtrap communicating with the first mentioned trap; means for supplyingwater to the bowl, air reservoir, and auxiliary air trap; and means forremoving the water from said auxiliary trap to effect an escapement ofair from the first mentioned trap.

6. In a device of the character described, a suit-able bowl having acommunicating outlet system involving two water seals and anintermediate air trap; an air reservoir; means for forcing air from saidreservoir into the trap during the filling process; and means fortrapping the air drawn by natural suction into said trap during theempty ing process in order to provide an additional after-fill in thebowl above the normal overflow point.

7. In a device of the character described, a suitable bowl having acommunicating outlet system involving two water seals and anintermediate air trap; means for supplying said trap with air to hold upa body of water in the bowl; an auxiliary air trap; means for anescapement of air from the first mentioned trap through the saidauxiliary trap to permit the contents of the bowl passing through theoutlet system; and means, forming a part of said auxiliary trap, forgoverning the height of water to be stored up in the bowl.

8. In a siphonic acting water closet, a suitable bowl provided with acommunicating outlet system involving two water seals and anintermediate air trap; an air reser- Voir; an air duct leading from saidreseriliary trap, for governing the height of Wa- 10 voir to a point inone of said Water seals; ter to be stored up in the bowl.

a drain duct extending from said reservoir In testimony whereof we afiixour signato a point in one of said Water seals; an tures in presence oftwo Witnesses.

auxiliary blow trap; a duet leading from JAMES ALBERT STEVENSON.

the crown of said first mentioned trap to the LEXVIS OLIVER PHILLIPS.

said auxiliary trap; means for supplying Witnesses:

Water to the bowl, reservoir, and auxiliary JAS. A. CHAMBERS,

trap; and means, forming part of the aux- H. M. HANNA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

